Prof. Nazife Güngör: “A Human-Centered Approach to Quality”

Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör addressed the issue of quality, which is currently on the agenda of universities, in her weekly articles in 12 Punto. Here is Güngör’s article titled “A Human-Centered Approach to Quality”:

These days, quality is a key focus for universities. Quality efforts, which have gained momentum in the context of digitalization, aim to improve the quality of education in higher education in accordance with the course of the era. To achieve this, efforts are being made to establish a quality assurance management system that is well-defined, measurable, manageable, and sustainable, utilizing the opportunities brought by digitalization. At the meeting held in Istanbul on January 31, 2024, in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and the Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK), and attended by university rectors and quality experts, various aspects of quality were discussed, and the direction universities are taking in this regard was examined through numerical data.

With digitalization, there is a need to reformat every aspect of life. In an environment where knowledge production and dissemination have accelerated at an unprecedented rate due to computer-based technological developments, defining boundaries, measurement, evaluation, auditing, and management are becoming increasingly challenging. On the other hand, the collection, sharing, protection, and systematic archiving of data have become easier compared to the past. This means that opportunities exist, but threats should not be overlooked. Therefore, it is essential to consider the process with both its advantages and disadvantages, reducing the negative aspects while enhancing the positive ones.

Where there is multi-faceted production and dissemination, opportunities increase, but threats also multiply. To prevent threats and increase opportunities with the right goals, a system must be established. The collection, systematic archiving, and continuous sharing of data according to needs is of great importance for ensuring quality assurance and sustainability.

Digitalization particularly enhances interaction and communication. However, to transform this into a quality-oriented interaction and collaboration, the production and transmission processes must be systematically structured. The transfer of scientific knowledge produced in universities into social life to generate benefits is of serious importance. Universities are both educational institutions and knowledge production centers. Therefore, sharing the knowledge produced with society and turning it into benefits in line with development and progress goals means that the university creates value for humanity.

At this point, the importance of science communication emerges. The process of ensuring that scientific knowledge produced in universities reaches target audiences in society—or, as it is popularly termed, stakeholders—and is effectively utilized falls within the scope of science communication. Thus, science communication involves determining strategies related to the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. For this reason, universities must consider science communication while establishing their quality assurance management systems. The fact that this issue was seriously emphasized at the meeting demonstrates its importance. In this way, the process of determining which social segments scientific knowledge is transferred to, by what means, and with what objectives can be effectively and continuously monitored. Unless these processes are systematic and strategic, it is difficult to bridge the gap between universities, which are knowledge production centers, and society. As a result, knowledge cannot be transformed into real-life applications. Moreover, for researchers to feel fulfilled and experience the joy of production, the products they create must find a place in real life and serve a purpose.

Currently, much of the research conducted within universities, including the findings of theses and dissertations, remains either passively archived or published in academic journals that do not reach the general public.

Furthermore, academics do not make sufficient efforts to ensure that the knowledge they produce reaches society, or they do not see the necessity of doing so. Many academics live isolated lives within the confines of their campuses, disconnected from social realities, and thus, they miss out on the satisfaction of seeing their work translate into real benefits. Since they have never experienced this satisfaction, they do not seek it. Indeed, for many academics, the primary goal is not to contribute to societal progress through knowledge production but to earn academic points through publications to obtain titles and promotions. The fact that academics perceive universities merely as workplaces and use scientific research only as a means of career advancement is one of the main reasons for the gap between universities and society. Increasing awareness of science communication may help to overcome such problems and contribute to eliminating these barriers. 

On the other hand, universities are institutions that provide educational services. The relationship between education and the realities of life, or in other words, ensuring that university education is relevant to society, is highly important in terms of quality standards. Therefore, when planning education and training, and when opening new programs, it is essential to take into account societal needs, global trends, and the future of humanity. For this, the mission and vision of each program, department, and the university as a whole must be clearly defined.

In this context, every university should develop a strategic plan consisting of short-, medium-, and long-term goals, in alignment with the country’s development objectives. Planning for which professional fields will gain or lose interest in the future and opening new departments and programs accordingly will make it possible to offer high-quality and relevant education.

At the same time, it is important for universities to set certain goals for society and humanity. Based on my observations and indicators, younger generations are gradually distancing themselves from human-centered fields such as literature, philosophy, sociology, logic, and anthropology. Moreover, societal demand for these disciplines is also diminishing. Yet, in order to understand humanity and guide its course in a meaningful way, it is crucial to cultivate generations that possess intellectual depth, strong analytical competence, emotional richness, and the ability to dream and embark on creative adventures in pursuit of their dreams. Certainly, technologically competent generations are a necessity for the present and future world. However, surrendering humanity to mechanization that disregards human values is not a safe approach for the future.

Therefore, quality efforts focused on digital technologies must not ignore intellectual depth and analytical competence. In fact, giving serious importance to these aspects is essential for creating a more livable world and a higher-quality humanity.A human-centered approach to quality will provide universities and science with a much stronger vision.

12PUNTO